Outdoors

Getting your rod ready for fly fishing season

Don Corey, owner of Annika Rod and Fly in Holden, says early spring — before fishing season begins in earnest — is a good time to get fly rods and reels out and perform basic maintenance chores.

Among the things an avid angler may want to do:

– Check the reel guides to make sure there’s nothing broken, and that there are no sharp spots.

– Check the rod connectors — ferrules — and clean them with warm, soapy water. Lubricating the ferrules is a good idea, too.

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– Use Scotchguard or fine sandpaper to touch up the cork grip.

– Soak the fly line and leader in a pot of warm, soapy water to clean it. Then dry the line off with a soft towel.

– Take the reel apart and do the same: Soak it in the water, then take a cloth to dry it off. Writing the kind of fly line on the inside of the spool is a good idea to avoid confusion when on the water.

– Oil the reel shaft lightly, then reassemble the reel.

Simply put: “If you spend a little bit of time taking care of [your gear], it will take care of you,” according to Corey.

Don Corey is the BDN’s director of information systems. Read his blog at visesquad.bangordailynews.com/.